Burned remains of stolen Jackie Robinson statue found in Wichita
Firefighters on Tuesday found the burned remains of a priceless bronze statue of Jackie Robinson that was stolen last week from a public park in Kansas, authorities said.
The Wichita Fire Department received a call about a trash can on fire in Garvey Park in the south part of the city around 8:40 a.m. and discovered what appeared to be pieces of the statue, police spokesman Andrew Ford said. At a news conference Tuesday, he described it as “unsalvageable.”
The statue, which was severed at the figure’s ankles, went missing on Thursday morning. It honors the first player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947.
“If it turns out that it was racially motivated, then that is obviously a deeper social issue and would certainly make this a much more concerning form of theft,” said Bob Lutz, executive director of the nonprofit Little League, which commissioned the sculpture . “We’re waiting to see what this is going to be.”
League 42, named after Robinson’s Dodgers number, paid about $50,000 for the model, which was installed in 2021 at McAdams Park, where about 600 children play in the youth baseball league. It also offers educational programs.
The police spokesman said they conducted more than 100 interviews with the help of arson investigators. Surveillance footage shows two people dragging the statue in the dark to a truck that was later found abandoned.
“Yes, it is truly disheartening to see the remains of the statue and the shameful way in which it has been disrespected,” Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said, describing its discovery as a “direct indication of the pressure” suspects felt out of the ongoing investigation.
He said the police are in consultation with the Public Prosecution Service.
“There will be arrests, but we are going to make sure that when we do, we will have a solid case,” he said, adding that it is “just a matter of time” for anyone involved in the theft.
Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of black American ballplayers. He is considered not only a sports legend, but also a civil rights hero.
Lutz said a new statue will be installed that will look exactly like the old one, which was created by his friend, artist John Parsons, before his death. He said the mold is still viable and expected a replacement could be installed within months.
The theft was discovered shortly before Black History Month. But Lutz said in an interview after the news conference that he hoped the motive was not racist, but that the thieves only saw the bronze as having monetary value.
Wichita City Councilman Brandon Johnson described the statue as a “symbol of hope” and said donations for the replacement are coming from local businesses and through an online fundraiser.
“This now tells us that we need a new statue,” he said of the destroyed remains. “We are no longer looking for a completely intact image. We know we have to raise money to replace it, and we will.”